medieval_days_and_knightsfandomcom-20200213-history
Medieval Days and Knights Wiki
Welcome to Medieval Days and Knights! This wiki will help you research life and literature during the Middle Ages in jolly old England! Below, you will find websites that you will help you understand what life was like in the Middle Ages. You will also find information about the legend of King Arthur, the Anglo-Saxon epic of Beowulf and information about Geoffrey Chaucer and The Canterbury Tales. So if you're ready, grab your sword and charge ahead to Medieval England. Huzzah! Life in the Middle Ages [http://www.learner.org/interactives/middleages/ The Middle Ages] This website will tell you all you want to know about living in the Middle Ages. Links are available to the broad categories of feudal life, religion, homes, clothing, health, arts and entertainment, town life and resources. Additional links are offered to further details within each subject area. [http://www.gohistorygo.com/#!medieval-towns-/c1ztc Life in a Medieval Town] Ever wonder what it was like to live in the Middle Ages? This website will give you all the gory details about living in a town during the Middle Ages. [http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/middle_ages/ Middle Ages in England] This website is sponsored by the BBC and tells all about how Medieval England was a time of turmoil, invasion, and death as well as a time of new beginnings and rights. [http://mw.mcmaster.ca/intro.html Medieval Women: An Interactive Exploration] Imagine life in the 14th century. In a time of castles and crusades, it was a time for knights and monks. What if a person was born a woman? What was medieval life like for them? Join Margery for a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Explore children's games in medieval times including jacks, loggats, watchdog, tug of war, bowling hoops, and hobbyhorses. Learn about marriage, childcare, widowhood, and the four ages of life. [http://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/medieval_beasts/ Medieval Beasts] Manuscripts made in the Middle Ages were created with both real and imaginary animals throughout the pages. The Getty Museum web site explains the ways in which animals were an important part of everyday life in the Middle Ages. You are invited to digitally flip through the pages of several books to see how the animals were portrayed. Listen to an audio clip about a dragon and one about the warhorse in the Middle Ages. Read about and see images of fantastic beasts and symbolic creatures. [http://www.godecookery.com/how2cook/howto06.htm Christmas Feasts in the Middle Ages] Christmas is a special time for cooking special treats. This has been true for centuries, but the types of foods have changed over the years. Visit this web site to learn about Christmas foods and feasts during medieval times. Find out about Christmas-specific foods and the importance of sharing meals during Christmas time. Learn why the boar's head, mincemeat pie, and plum pudding became linked with the celebration of Christmas. [http://kids.librarypoint.org/day_of_knights A Day of Knights] If you are learning about knights and knighthood, check out this web site. You will find frequently asked questions about knights along with the answers. Read about the history of knighthood and the job of a knight. Who did knights work for and what were they paid. You will also learn some of the technical terms for the parts of a knight's wardrobe, which was very heavy and complicated. The answers to the questions about knights will give you a complete overview of the concept of knighthood. [http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/medieval.html The Medieval and Byzantine Eras] Smart History from Khan Academy introduces the art from the medieval and Byzantine periods. Watch an entertaining video to understand the history of the two empires. [http://www.wwnorton.com/college/english/nael/middleages/welcome.htm Introduction to the Middle Ages] The introduction at the web site of The Norton Anthology of English Literature provides an overview of literature from the Middle Ages. Literature topics to explore are medieval estates and orders, King Arthur, the First Crusade and Beowulf. Each of these topics includes text and contents, explorations, web resources and illustrations. In the review section you can access summaries, quizzes and connections. [http://www.musee-moyenage.fr/ang/homes/home_id20392_u1l2.htm National Museum of the Middle Ages in France] The National Museum of the Middle Ages in Paris is home to many collections of Medieval art. These collections include antiquity and the early Middle Ages, the Romanesque world, Gothic sculpture, paintings, miniatures and stained glass, goldsmith's work and ivory, tapestries, fabrics and embroideries and art from everyday life. You can also view works that are on loan to the museum. Each collection has a narrative overview. [http://www.tiltedworld.com/brenda/music/trumpet.html The Power of Music in Medieval Literature] The Song of Roland is a classic medieval tale in literature that has been the subject of much discussion among literature buffs. At Rencesvals, an intense battle occurred between the French under Charlemagne and the pagans under Saracens of Spain. Roland leads the army; however his untimely use of the trumpet leads to a tragic ending. Learn about the oliphant and its many uses as stated in the Bible. Read about Roland's choice and possible events that may have led to his decision. [http://omacl.org/ Online Medieval and Classical Library] he Online Medieval and Classical Library, part of the Berkeley Digital Library, is a collection of a number of the most important literary works of classical and medieval civilization. The collection is keyword searchable or you can browse by title, author, genre, and language. Links are provided, at the top of the page, to web sites with additional medieval information and texts. You will find works of Chaucer and Homer, among others, as well as anonymous works. [http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/sbook.html Internet Medieval Sourcebook] The Internet Medieval Sourcebook is an informative site sponsored by Fordham University. It is well organized with a broad range of resources. This site will give you access to an online collection of primary historical documents in translation that are available as public domain and copy-permitted texts. This is where you will be able to find actual documents from the Middle Ages. King Arthur: The Man and the Myth [http://www.caerleon.net/history/arthur/ King Arthur] Researching King Arthur is a breeze with this web site. The topics to choose from are listed and take you from an introduction to the legend of King Arthur to the first reliable reference to the King. You will learn how the legend developed, what the world was like during this time in history and facts about Camelot. The history of The Round Table is also described along with a picture of what is believed to be King Arthur's meeting place. [http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/anglo_saxons/arthur_01.shtml King Arthur, Once and Future King] Do you know if King Arthur is based on fact or fiction? Was the legendary hero real? Using this website from the BBC, step back in time to the ancient days of Britain where you will find out about Sir Thomas Malory. Discover how this knight spent time in prison writing down King Arthur stories. The original creator of King Arthur is introduced. See if there are truly any historical links to the Arthur of the famous stories and learn why the stories are so enduring. [http://www.pbs.org/mythsandheroes/myths_four_arthur.html King Arthur on PBS] This is the tale of King Arthur, the once and future king of England. He was the son of Uther Pendragon and Igraine, who was the wife of the Duke of Cornwall. Merlin the wizard raised Arthur, and when Uther died, Arthur became king. Arthur was able to unite Britain, and with his knights, searched for the Holy Grail. He married Guinevere, the daughter of the King of Scotland, against the wishes of Merlin. He was killed by his nephew, Mordred. The video tells of the death of Mordred and King Arthur's final trip to the island of Avalon. [http://bestoflegends.org/kingarthur/index.html King Arthur and the Matter of Britain] For those researching the Arthurian romances here is a comprehensive guide to the best resources. You will find excellent reference sites including the King Arthur site at Britannica, Arthurian resources on the internet, the Camelot Project and the International Arthurian Society. There are also general resources for history and archaeology, Welsh Bards, Malory, Gawain, Guenevere, Percival, Merlin, etc. [http://www.lib.rochester.edu/Camelot/cphome.stm The Camelot Project] The Camelot Project web site is designed to make available in electronic format a database of Arthurian texts, images, bibliographies, and basic information. The main menu lists Arthurian characters, symbols, and sites. A second menu includes lists of artists and their works. This site is continually being added to, so if you don't find the information you need right away visit again and again. [http://www.factmonster.com/encyclopedia/entertainment/arthurian-legend.html Arthurian Legend on Factmonster] Learn about the medieval origins of the traditional historical tales describing the adventures of King Arthur and the knights of Great Britain in this encyclopedia article from Fact Monster. The material is divided into three sections. The first provides an overview of literature about King Arthur that begins in the tenth century B.C. The next section explains how the hero stories from Celtic mythology influenced Arthurian legend. Significant characters and events in the life of King Arthur are described in the third part. There is also a bibliography of sources. '''ARTHURIAN LITERATURE''' [http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/mart/index.htm Le Morte d'Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory] Volume one of Sir Thomas Malory's book entitled, Le Morte d'Arthur, contains twenty-seven books and you can read each one of them on your computer. When you click on any of the book titles you will find the titles of the chapters found in that book. You will also find brief descriptions that give you an idea of the chapters' contents. Each page that contains a list of chapters also allows you to access the second volume of Sir Thomas Malory's famous book. [http://www.earlybritishkingdoms.com/arthur/malory.html Sir Thomas Malory] Although he was not considered a professional writer, Sir Thomas Malory is known for writing Arthurian literature. Written in the 1400s, his works about King Arthur are still read today. This article describes Malory's writing style, and discusses what little is known about Malory's life. You will find details about Malory's parents, his involvement with local politics as an adult, and his brushes with the law. There is also information about his time in prison. [http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/englit/malory/ Thomas Malory's Morte d'Arthur] The only surviving manuscript copy of the King Arthur tales written by Sir Thomas Malory is held in the British Library. View close up images of the manuscript from the 1400s at the British Library web site. Read about Sir Thomas Malory to learn why he was in prison when he wrote the tales. Many of his criminal activities are listed! Included at the site is a brief synopsis of Malory's King Arthur stories and details about the history of the manuscript. [http://csis.pace.edu Sir Gawain and the Green Knight] Hear Ye! Who is this knight at the Round Table? Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a classic story from Middle English Literature. If you are creating a character sketch of Sir Gawain, then this is the site for selecting information. Read a synopsis of the story, an explanatory character analysis, and quotations from various sources about this character. You can even listen to a sound bite of Sir Gawain speaking! Additional links are provided for more research on the story and character. [http://www.luminarium.org/medlit/gawain.htm Sir Gawain and the Green Knight] This site studies and analyzes the medieval poem Sir Gaiwan, which is made up of two stories in one. There is a brief history of the poem that provides some background, plus links to several electronic texts of the work. The Online Resources section leads to many discussions and study guides for the text, along with information about the anonymous poet. '''CAMELOT''' [http://www.earlybritishkingdoms.com/archaeology/cadbury.html Is Cadbury Arthur's Camelot?] Modern opinion as to the whereabouts of King Arthur's Court, whether it was named Camelot or not, tends to lean towards the enormous refortified hill fort at South Cadbury in Somerset. Is this merely due to a massive amount of publicity and modern propaganda, or is it a real possibility? This web site presents the tradition which motivated the modern archaeological excavation project of the Camelot Research Committee. [http://www.camelotintl.com/legend/ Camelot the Legend] Camelot is a British legend of adventure, chivalry, and magic. Camelot is the legendary capital of King Arthur's kingdom. Halfway between history and myth, King Arthur, guided by Merlin, drew the sword from the stone, won the crown, and led his people to glory. Merlin was an advisor and magician. King Arthur was the founder of the Knights of the Round Table, a fellowship which was based on love for God, man, and good deeds. [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/7883874/Historians-locate-King-Arthurs-Round-Table.html Historians Locate King Arthur's Round Table] Movies depict King Arthur's Round Table with perhaps a dozen or so knights gathered around, but some historians believe it was a circular meeting place designed for 1,000. In 2010, researchers claimed to have found Camelot in Chester. The legendary stronghold was built around a Roman amphitheater. Early accounts of the Arthurian legends don't depict the Round Table as a piece of furniture for eating but as a place for receiving battle instructions. Could this be the location of the famous Round Table? '''OTHER CHARACTERS''' [http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/lanmenu.htm Lancelot] This is the quintessential Lancelot. It summarizes the history of Lancelot's story as well as provides links to many of the original texts of the history. There are many different aspects of the story of Lancelot that are chronicled, from the early text to modern renditions of the tale in poem and prose form. There are also links to many images of Lancelot and his travels. These images are in many different medium from many different periods. [http://www.earlybritishkingdoms.com/bios/lancelot.html Sir Lancelot, King of Benwick] Raised by the mystical Lady of the Lake, Lancelot was the son of a king. A trusted companion and knight to King Arthur, he had an affair with the queen. Read about his adventures rescuing the queen from his villainous arch-rival, and stories of others who fell in love with this brave knight. Discover the history of Sir Galahad and why Lancelot was unable to complete the Quest for the Holy Grail. [http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/trt/trt25.htm Lancelot and Guinevere] Now you can read the complete tale of Lancelot and Guenevere online as it is written here for you to enjoy with accompanying illustrations. Read about Lancelot, Guenevere, and the death of King Arthur. See how King Arthur's love for Guenevere kept him from suspecting the devotion that Guenevere had for Lancelot. You can read how she chose to have Lancelot rescue her in precocious situations, and then on to the death of her husband. Come enjoy this timeless story. [http://www.arthurian-legend.com/more-about/more-about-arthur-8.php Morgan Le Fay] Arthurian sorceress and dark magician, Morgan Le Fay is described in stories as a fairy, enchantress, witch, sea goddess, healer, and shape-shifter. Half-sister to King Arthur, her character is rooted in Celtic mythology and seems to change with each retelling. Although Morgan was a man's name, Morrigan was a Celtic goddess of death, and Modron was a legendary Welsh character. She became a literary synonym for devious and mischievous evil. [http://www.internationalhero.co.uk/l/lefay.htm Morgan Le Fey] Morgan le Fey is a legendary figure from the Arthurian realm. Most of the legends paint Morgan as a great witch with a wide variety of evil powers at her command. Different authors portray Morgan in their own definition. Sir Thomas Malory, in his Le Morte D'Arthur tells us that Morgan was one of the half-sisters of King Arthur, daughter of Ygerna and her first husband, Gorlois. Chrétien describes Morgan as a giver of healing ointments. Morgan's powers are listed and references given. [http://csis.pace.edu/grendel/projs993a/arthurian/morgan2.htm Queen Morgan Le Fay] A powerful female character in the King Arthur legends, Morgan Le Fay is manipulative and controlling, an underhanded sorceress and shape-shifter. A fairy and enchantress, she could depict herself as a beautiful young woman or a crone. This mysterious woman is a heroine of some stories and an evil temptress in others. [ http://www.treasureofcamelot.com/QueenGuinevere.php Guinevere] Legend holds that King Arthur fell in love with Guinevere at first sight and married her shortly after. This web site discusses some of the ways in which Queen Guinevere is portrayed in different versions of the King Arthur stories. Find out how Arthur and Guinevere met and what Arthur received from Guinevere's father when he married her. Learn about the love triangle between King Arthur, Queen Guinevere and Sir Lancelot and find out the fate of each of them. [http://arthurian-legend.com/more-about/more-about-arthur-9.php Queen Guinevere] We can learn a lot of interesting facts about Queen Guinevere through the writings on this site devoted to the legendary character. Queen Guinevere and her husband, King Arthur, along with Sir Lancelot form one of the most dynamic love triangles ever to be found in literature. We learn how she married, but never loved, King Arthur, and stayed loyal to Lancelot although almost succumbing to the stake on a few occasions. We learn about the Welsh origins of her name and more. [http://www.arthurian-legend.com/more-about/more-about-arthur-10.php The Merlin Legend] Geoffrey of Monmouth created the character Merlin from the Welsh characters Myrddin and Ambrosius. Merlin was originally portrayed as a prophetic wild man of the forest, and only later became an integral part of the King Arthur legends. [http://www.loggia.com Merlin] This web site gives Merlin's background. His father was not exactly wicked, but was far from good so immediately after his birth, his mother took him to a priest to rid him of evil spirits, which worked. He did retain, however, some of his magic. The site also gives information indicating that Merlin was very smart. If you are interested in Merlin, you can also see Merlin in art on this web site. Beowulf, the Anglo-Saxon epic '''EPIC HEROES''' [http://ed.ted.com/lessons/a-host-of-heroes-april-gudenrath#review A Host of Heroes] Do we need heroes? Yes! A hero is one of the most common archetypes in literature, but did you know there are different types of heroes? This TED talk video shows different examples of heroes, including: the epic hero, tragic heroes and the romantic hero. [http://ed.ted.com/lessons/what-makes-a-hero-matthew-winkler What makes a hero?] In this TED talk, the author shows what all heroes have in common, from the epic heroes of the past to Harry Potter and Katniss Everdeen! '''BEOWULF''' [http://www.readwritethink.org/materials/beowulf/ Beowulf: An online guide] The poem, Beowulf, is available for your exploration at this web site from Read, Write, Think. The overview provides facts about the epic poem including the date it was approximately written and what makes up an epic poem. There is a brief synopsis of the story and a description of each part of the epic. Get details about the original manuscript and learn why this literary work is significant. Translations and modern editions of Beowulf are discussed. [http://www.60secondrecap.com/library/beowulf/ Beowulf in 60 seconds!] A poem with 3000 lines might seem a bit overwhelming, but with the video clips from 60second Recap, you can understand Beowulf. Explore this epic poem as you watch the video recaps available at this web site. You will find out that Beowulf is fairly simple, even though it was written 1000 years ago. In 60 seconds you will learn the context of the story and in another 60 seconds, you will find out about the plot which includes three monsters, three battles and three funerals. Learn about all the different parts of Beowulf in 60 second videos! [http://machias.edu/faculty/necastro/story/beowulf.html The Young Troubadour: Beowulf] Even though it was written for young readers, this simplified version of Beowulf at the Young Trobadour can help you understand the story also. You will also find some background information that gives you the chance to learn about the history of the Anglo-Saxons. You will discover that many of their hero stories have been told for hundreds of years and one of those stories is the tale of Beowulf the Great. This historically significant story is located on one convenient page and can be accessed in pdf. [http://ageofex.marinersmuseum.org/?type=webpage&id=56 Beowulf the Explorer?] This page from The Mariner's Museum looks at the story of Beowulf as a tale of an explorer as well as a hero. Do you agree? [http://www.bl.uk/learning/langlit/changlang/writtenword/beowulfhome/beowulf.html Beowulf at the British Library] The earliest known narrative poem in English is called Beowulf. Introduce yourself to the poem which is the story of a battle between a hero named Beowulf and a monster named Grendel. You will find a synopsis of the poem. Learn about the language of Beowulf and find out about kennings, words that are used in the poem. Try the activities that let you explore the language of Beowulf and hear audio of an actor reading the poem. You have to click on the link at the bottom of the page. [http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/englit/beowulf/ The only transcript of Beowulf....in the world!] The sole surviving transcript of Beowulf is at home at the British Library. Visit their web site for information and a video of the manuscript. Learn how the manuscript came to the British Library and see images of the pages. [http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/Literature/subcollections/RinglBeowulfAbout.html A New Translation of Beowulf for Reading Aloud] The University of Wisconsin Digital Collection offers an electronic version of a translation of the oldest narrative poem in the English language. Read background information about the poem Beowulf and learn when it first became known to the modern world. Find out about the translations of Beowulf into Modern English and then use the translation at this site to better understand the work. You can listen to or read the poem in sections or in its entirety. You have to click on a link at the top that says "Browse Beowulf" in order to find the modern translation and it's audio recordings. [http://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/89/beowulf/ Beowulf by Francis Barton Gummere] Beowulf was translated in 1910 and you can read and listen to the adventure online. The opening page contains the prelude and the interactive list of chapters that allows you to jump to any chapter of your choice. Or listen to all 41 chapters.....if you dare! [http://www.abdn.ac.uk/english/beowulf/contents.htm Beowulf for Beginners] This wonderful resource is a great guide for anyone studying the poem, Beowulf. You will find a list describing each character with an audio file that pronounces their names in Anglo-Saxon. Begin with the introduction and maps and then follow the story from a funeral at the beginning. Meet the monster Grendel and take a voyage with Beowulf. As you read the story, you will find definitions for terms, illustrations and additional information about the time period in which the poem was written. [http://www.humanities.mcmaster.ca/~beowulf/ Beowulf in Hypertext] The differences between Old English and Modern English can make the poem, Beowulf, difficult to understand. Beowulf in Hypertext is a web site that will help you with an understanding of this epic poem. You can read Beowulf in Old English or the translation in Modern English. Meet the characters in the poem including the Geats, the Danes, the Swedes, the Finnsburh and the monster, Grendel. Find facts about the original Beowulf manuscript and get links to other sites about Beowulf. Chaucer and The Canterbury Tales